


Antelucan

by notjustmom



Series: Words, Words, Words [105]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Johnlock Fluff, M/M, bit of a case fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-19
Updated: 2016-01-19
Packaged: 2018-05-14 23:49:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5763628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notjustmom/pseuds/notjustmom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>antelucan: adjective: antə̇lükən: before dawn</p><p>Latin antelucanus, from ante- + luc-, lux light + -anus, -an</p>
            </blockquote>





	Antelucan

It was one of those cases that ran Sherlock into the ground. A serial killer, who left arcane clues to when and where the next body would be found; at first, it appealed to his appreciative nature for something 'different' but soon he was always just an hour behind, a day too late, and though Molly confirmed the victims had been killed days before and frozen, each failure weighed heavily on him. 

John stood by, watching the circles under his eyes grow, hearing him pace, the endless plates of food untouched, the broken strings of the violin...he could only wait. At the crime scenes, Sherlock's demeanor never changed, the Yarders never saw how close he was to breaking, he rarely let even John see when it was too much. But John always knew the tells, he knew a crash was coming.

"Going for a walk."

"It's two am."

"I need to walk, John, you may come if you wish." 

It was the first crack in the ice.

"If only I could find where...and why would he....he must have help....where, John? 

It was a purely rhetorical question.

They walked until the antelucan time of the morning, right before the edges of the old city began to shimmer in light, when Sherlock finally stopped. He sat down on the park bench, and reached for John's hand.

"Close your eyes, love, just close them."

"I can't, John."

"Just breathe and close your eyes for a moment."

"I'm failing, John."

"It has to happen once in a while. Once in a while, you won't be able to solve it."

"I have to."

"No. For right now, you are going to sit here, close your eyes and listen to me. Listen to the birds. Listen to the city waking up. Then, we are going to go home, and you will take a long nap, and then I will make love to you and then you will sleep for days."

"I-"

"Close your eyes, and listen."

"Oh. Oh, John. I know. I know where-"

"Text Lestrade and then we are going home to put you to bed."

"I-"

"Text, then home to bed."

"Yes, John. Have I told you lately..."

"No, you haven't."

"I adore you, I love you...how do you put up with me?"

"Because I love you, you git. Text him, now."


End file.
